


The Mutual Fascination of Misfits: Aliases

by offwhxte



Series: Misfits [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mutual Like, Older Aaron, Underage Spencer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 23:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10684845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offwhxte/pseuds/offwhxte
Summary: The last day of school came and went, and the worried kind of excitement settled in the pit of his stomach like rigid pebbles that tore him each time he took another step out of the building. Diana was already on her plane to San Diego, and it was time for the trip that would make or break the relationship that was coming up on three year anniversary of... whatever this was. Whatever they were pretending not to be once they stepped into the sunlight.





	The Mutual Fascination of Misfits: Aliases

**Author's Note:**

> A little bit more of an Aaron POV on this; TWs of implied drug use alongside the already worrying underage thing we have going on.

The last day of school came and went, and the worried kind of excitement settled in the pit of his stomach like rigid pebbles that tore him each time he took another step out of the building. Diana was already on her plane to San Diego, and it was time for the trip that would make or break the relationship that was coming up on three year anniversary of... whatever this was. Whatever they were pretending not to be once they stepped into the sunlight.  

Aaron already had their plan. Fake birth certificates, his lies, their fake names, his fake ID. They were going under the radar because the second someone suspected something of the two of them, everything would be over. However, Aaron knew that Spencer was good at lying. He'd been lying his way through high school, telling people he was fine, that the bruises on his arms were accidental and self-inflicted, and most importantly, that he didn't love Aaron. They would be able to show a reasonable amount of intimacy between the two of them because they were going to be in a new place that was hours from anyone they knew. Anything that the others said wouldn't matter. They'd be gone in a number of days.  

"My name is Matthew, I'm seventeen, this is my brother Thomas, we're visiting family. My name is Matthew, I'm seventeen, this is my brother Thomas, we're visiting family," Spencer repeated the mantra over and over under his breath as he trekked outside of his house and into the bright headlights that stared at him. "My name is Matthew..." 

"Hey, baby boy," Aaron whispered as he clambered into the car, reaching over the console and gently grasping onto Spencer's hand. "You ready?" 

"Yeah..." He murmured, a shy smile on his face as he pushed his bag of things into the back seat, anxiously gripping onto his hand. "I'm nervous." 

"Don't worry, Spencer. I'll take care of you." 

And that he did. The entire car ride of three hours was filled with intellectually stimulating conversation about the depths of the ocean, the psychology of why people love the beach so much. Most of which was Spencer, of course, as he'd gutted the school library of all of their beach books that they had to offer. He was glad that Aaron seemed to be fascinated again, but he was also just filling space with his words to deviate from silence because silence often meant bombshells were dropped, and he wasn't ready. Wasn't ready for whatever reason Aaron was bringing him out here. Aaron had promised to take Spencer away from the boringness of normal life, so here was his chance to escape. Whatever Aaron asked in return was most likely deserved. He was in no place to say no.  

"You need anything?" He asked, pulling the car into park. Spencer looked up at the buzzing lights of a gas station and shrugged. "No? Okay, I'll be right back." 

As soon as the car door slammed shut, the vulnerability set in. There weren't many eyes around the premises, but it felt as though all of those that were focused in on the sweat that formed a sheet over his forehead in the AC-less car when Aaron was inside with the key. If he tried to open the door, the alarm would go off. If he cried out for help, the cops would be called. He didn't want to do either of those things, but the thought happened to pop into his brain and he went ahead and ran the numbers. 

Aaron came back after a few minutes; three minutes and twelve seconds, with his arms full of various foods that wouldn't expire for another month or two due to their high amount of fake ingredients made of chemicals and false flavorings. He'd eat it, though. He hadn't eaten all day, and he'd sneak a few snacks from the bag when Aaron wasn't looking. He figured he would pay him back later.  

"Did you know that Napoleon was actually a normal height?" Spencer asked, noticing the bag of Bugles that Aaron's free hand rested limply inside. "He was over five feet, but it was considered short in France in their time." 

Aaron nodded slowly, his hand turning the steering wheel as they pulled into one of the motels by the beach. It wasn't the best looking place, but he knew it was all Aaron could afford. He was thankful, just worried. He was hoping that the man getting out of the car wasn't intent on getting any favors, but if he did, Spencer wouldn't have anything to say back. If it did happen, he promised himself to close his eyes and try to remember the first time they met. Maybe it'd give him comfort. 

"I got a room with two beds," Aaron said, pacing the room as he set up all of his things. "But if you want, we can push them together to make a big one. Only if you want." 

Spencer raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "I'm okay with two beds." 

He wasn't sure of the sentiment. Aaron wasn't lying when he said it was only if he wanted it; his eyes stayed locked on, but he wasn't focusing on the locking itself, but rather what Spencer was feeling. What he was showing, how his mouth was shifting in doubt. Was he going to crawl in sometime during the night? Was there a false sense of security? 

"Okay, baby. Do you want to do anything today, or just stay inside?" 

"Um..." Spencer looked down to his toes. He wasn't exactly a beach person, nor was he the type to go outside. His stomach fluttered at the thought of spending an entire day in with Aaron, watching movies, reading books, talking. But then, the talking scared him. The fluttering in his stomach persuaded him, "Stay inside." 

Aaron grinned and walked across the room, enveloping the small body in front of him in a hug. Hands didn't wander. Things felt like they used to, and Spencer slowly relaxed, letting his fingers curl into the loops of Aaron's jeans and making himself at home. He took a deep breath and let a smile grace his lips, a real one. He'd been stressing over nothing. Perhaps Aaron realized that he was showing so many signs of the criminal minds that were in the books they'd read together that it pushed him into reality. The worst was over. 

For a few hours. 

Eventually, Spencer didn't want to go out to eat on their first night together in the motel, and Aaron ended up throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him to the car in which they drove in hardened silence. Spencer read the signs as they sped by and Aaron sighed every few moments, looking over to the boy in his passenger seat with a longing that anyone but Spencer, the objective kid that he was, could sense. 

Spencer sat, obviously upset but trying his best not to make anyone suspicious. He kicked his legs, looked around with wide, curious eyes. Aaron could see the tears behind them, but there was nothing to say. Not in public. The positive thing about Spencer was that he couldn't really leave. The thought hurt to think, but it was a sort of comfort. Spencer was easier than all of the other people he'd dated in the past, no matter how often they might get in fights. He couldn't drive off and never come back. He couldn't try to get the police involved without letting them know that they were together. Not that his past relationships ended with other people going to the police, but... ugh. It was a mess.  

Aaron's past was a blurry one. Often the memories he could remember through the vials he used to inject with were bad ones; that was why he loved listening to Spencer talk about the brain and memories. He always asked to hear about the hippocampus and the uh... superior... something or other. It was the part of the brain that kind of controlled and supported memory. Spencer had once mentioned that MRIs had helped scientists and doctors understand more about the memory; like, when you were watching a memory in your head like a movie, it wasn't actually real, but you creating it. Spencer helped him understand his mind better. Both of them were broken, sure. That was what made it feel safe. Both of them were broken in such a way that they were puzzle pieces. One without the other... they'd be obsolete. 

Besides. He hadn't craved in months, and that was due to Spencer. Maybe one day, he'd see if it made Spencer come back to Earth too. Only if he wanted. 

"I can't do this," Aaron said, pulling the car into a random parking lot and turning around, parking and taking a deep breath. Spencer looked over with worried eyes. The words were familiar, fresh. Spencer no doubt thought Aaron was breaking up with him, so the older man quickly turned in his seat. "No, not like that. I... I just reminded myself of someone, and it didn't feel good." 

"Oh," Spencer nodded slowly and gave him a soft smile, half-showing his teeth. "Are you okay?" 

Aaron sighed and leaned his seat all the way back, scooting back to sit near the headrest and patting his legs. He didn't ask anything with his mouth. Flashes of angered questions and passive-aggressive threats pulsed through his temples and he closed his eyes. He heard the shift and squeak of car leather and felt the warm pressure on his legs and looked up to the boy on his lap.  

"All of this is just your brain, Aaron," Spencer said quietly, his hands on either side of the warm face in front of him. "The hippocampus can be impaired through traumatic events. Whatever this is... whatever happens when you feel like you're out of control or there's something you don't want to say but it comes out anyway, it's just repeating things that have happened before. It isn't you. It's them." 

Spencer often lied with big words to make Aaron feel better. The parts about memories were true, but the parts about things that happened before... not so much. Unless Aaron was hallucinating constantly, it was pretty unlikely. Aaron couldn't handle being the person he had blurred memories about. No matter what Spencer would say, once Aaron knew, he'd be gone and neither of them would function the way they wanted anymore. The thought of either of them being with anyone else was something that made their skin crawl.  

"No one could ever care for me the way you do..." Spencer said, running gentle fingers through the dark hair on Aaron's head. Aaron made a small noise and wrapped his arms around Spencer's waist, pulling him flush against his body. Spencer smiled and held him back.  

Moments like these. Moments like these were what made the worst times seem like ripping off a band-aid. Quick. Nearly painless. When Aaron needed him, Spencer would always be there. No matter what.  

"I love you," Aaron murmured against Spencer's chest. He could feel the racing heartbeat that he was so familiar with and sighed, pulling him almost impossibly closer.  

"I love you too, Aaron."


End file.
